Archives for June 2010

What a difference five days can make in the world of the Chicago Blackhawks‘ GM Stan Bowman. Here’s what was written by Chicago Breaking Sports on June 25th. Note the Bowman quotes:

Bowman said Friday that despite the rumors, many of which focused on winger Kris Versteeg, the Hawks don’t have to make any more deals to clear space under the salary cap to sign key restricted free agents, including goaltender Antti Niemi and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Hawks have already dealt Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Colin Fraser.

“We’re fine,” Bowman said. “We made our move to unload some salary there and the salary cap was higher than we anticipated; we didn’t think it would be at $59.4 (million). Those combinations made it a much better scene.”

Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived forwards Rob Kurz and Chris Richard.I would say this is a cost-cutting move, yet another transaction to increase salary cap space for the free agent bonanza, but I’d be lying. These guys didn’t cost anything. I’m not sure they would even be on the books for this year anyway.

Not sure if you heard, but at midnight EST tonight LeBron James will officially become a free agent. No, seriously. He will. I know it hasn’t been talked about at all, but it’s a fact. So will a whole bunch of other guys. David Kay breaks down the top free agent small forwards that will hit the market when the clock strikes 12.

Update: As of July 1, Alando Tucker is not on the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League roster. Rest assured I’ll be speaking with John Hammond and Scott Skiles about this at the first Summer League practice next Thursday, July 8.

But Soxman and I (if we can paraphrase Mark McGwire at the steroid Senate hearings) are not here to talk about the past. Even the recent past. We’re here to discuss the short term future. As in who’s going to represent the White Sox at the Midsummer Classic in Anaheim on the 14th?

As you might have heard, the Chicago Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup (it was all over the news, and the blogs too). But you may or may not have heard that (now former) Hawks defenseman Brent Sopel and the Cup itself were in Chicago’s Gay Pride Parade this past weekend. And we have pictures, and a thoughtful recap courtesy of Jerry Pritikin- a Cubs die-hard who has been known by the nicknames of “Bleacher Preacher” and the “Gay Forrest Gump.” We’ll have another feature on him later this week.

In the meantime, please check out his new exhibit at Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery, running now until August 13.

Once again fans will be able to watch all of the NBASummer League action from Las Vegas by tuning in to NBA TV or logging on to NBA.com. The 58-game schedule tips off on Friday, July 9, and continues through Sunday, July 18, as 22 NBA teams, including the 2010 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and a team of NBA Development League Select players, compete at the Thomas & Mack Center and the COX Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

When the Chicago Bears drafted Cedric Benson into the NFL, scouts couldn’t stop talking about his character issue red flags. He was often compared to another Texas running back, Ricky Williams– who similarly has been a tremendous pain in the ass to every NFL team that has employed him. But Williams just likes to smoke a little greenery, and you know hippies- they’re always mellow. “Stoned bar fights” never occur. “Drunken bar fights” are commonplace.

Cedric “the Entertainer” Benson seems to find himself getting into more violent and surly situations than Williams does. He’s had a drunk driving arrest, legal troubles making him sillier “on a boat” than T-Pain, and now this: a bar room brawl resembling an episode described in a Merle Haggard song.

Guess it’s not such a great thing he joined the Cincinnaughty Bengals. Williams seems like a guy who just wants to spread the love, Benson by contrast appears like a man who would rather a fight.

Both the Big Ten conference and the conference television network are located here in Chicago; a city home (by a very great measure) to the largest alumni base for all 11 schools. So it makes sense that the Chicago Bandits softball franchise would include a large number of Big Ten alumni as well. The Michigan Wolverines are the most represented school on the Bandits roster.

Be sure to read post-draft profiles of the Milwaukee Bucks first and second round picks.

If you were unfortunate enough to pay attention to the ESPN commentary last Thursday during the NBA Draft, you’d swear that Lebron James is the only free agent that matters. For the Worldwide Leader that may be true, but for the 29 teams that don’t get Lebron, the remaining free agents that don’t grab national headlines could still make or break a season. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks and GM John Hammond.

Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson headline a talented class of free agent shooting guards. The fun begins when the clock strikes midnight on Thursday. That is when teams can officialliy begin neogtiating with free agents. The Sports Bank will have it all covered. You can check out our point guard rankings and off-season team needs pages to get ready for what will undoubtedly be a crazy summer.